On a sunny, warm spring day, a crowd of fellow officers, family and citizens gathered to say goodbye to Maloney, who was shot and killed last week when a drug task force tried to serve a warrant at a Greenland home.

"Michael made people his priority," said New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch. "And that is what made him a great chief."

Four other officers were wounded in the incident, and Maloney was credited with sacrificing himself to help the others get to safety. The four others were able to attend the ceremony.

"This act of valor, this ultimate sacrifice, was made so that others might survive," said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. "This exemplified the life that Michael Maloney led and the career of service he built."

"He was doing his sworn duty, right to the end," said state Attorney General Michael Delaney. "Going into the line of fire, pulling wounded officers to safety and going back in again."

Bleachers at the athletic field at Winnacunnet High School were filled with well-wishers as chairs were set up on the field to accommodate the police delegations and Maloney's family. Blue and red chairs surrounded white chairs set up in the shape of Maloney's initials, "MM."

Maloney was remembered as someone dedicated to helping others, leading to his choice to become a police officer.

"Although he could have chosen an easier path or a safer one, he wanted to use his skills and his many talents to help people and communities in need," said Holder. "He wanted to make a difference, and he did. By any measure, he succeeded."

Those who served with him said he cared deeply about his officers, making sure to be at the station for every shift change to take the opportunity to talk to them about what was going on in their lives.

"Our families knew of him as not only our boss, but also our friend," said Greenland Detective David Kurkul.

"Mike was a best friend to a lot of people, and Mike had a lot of best friends, and it was an honor to be his first best friend," said Greenland Officer Jeff Peirce.

Maloney was described as dedicated to his family, proud of his daughter, son and grandson, his namesake. His younger brother, Tim Maloney, talked about the joy he had riding along with his big brother in his cruiser.

"When Mike was around, everything was better," he said. "Simply stated, Mike was one of the good guys."

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said she wondered how people would describe Maloney to his grandson. She said he was a "great, great human being," a loyal friend and a leader.

Several speakers made note of the fact that Maloney was a week away from retiring when he was killed. They said that while others might have taken it easy, Maloney was still dedicated to his job and was serving his community to his last day.

"He wanted to make sure that he would be there for Greenland, to protect our state until the very end," Ayotte said.